Pleated blind assembly



Sept. 9, 1969 E. M. sULKEs 3,465,806

' PLEATED BLIND ASSEMBLY Filed April 19, 1968 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR EMANUEL M. SULK ES ATTORNEY Sept. 9, 1969 M. sULKEs PLEATED BLIND ASSEMBLY 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 19, 1968 INVENTOR EMANEL M. SULKES BY g2 I C@ ATTORNEY Sept. 9, 1969 E. M. suLKr-:s

PLEATED BLIND ASSEMBLY Filed April 19. 1968 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 III/11 111 1,' l

EMANUEL M. SULKES ATTORNEY Sept. 9, 1969 E. M. suLKEs PLEATED BLIND ASSEMBLY 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed April 19, 1968 INVENTOR EMANUEL M. SULKES BY fw /f/ ATTORNEY United States Patent O U.S. Cl. 160--84 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A pleated blind assembly having operating cords connected to the top and bottom weight bars thereof whereby the blind may be selectively lowered from the top of a window or raised from the bottom of the window. The free ends of the operating cords are connected to take-up spools which not only provide storage reels for the operating cords but also provide a constant tension on the operating cords which actuate automatic cord grippers carried in the blind head bar or cornice whereby the pleated blind is held in a selected open position.

A portion of the operating cords are concealed within guide channels mounted on the sides of the window, and in window installations wherein the windows are pivotally mounted to the window frame to facilitate the cleaning thereof. The pleated blind may be folded to inoperative position into a storage compartment adjacent the window.

Background of the invention.-Heretofore various types of pleated blind assemblies have been proposed wherein the blind may be folded to open position by selectively raising or lowering the blind relative to the window in which it is mounted. The blind is actuated by means of operating cords connected to the blind top and bottom weight bars and the blind is guided in its vertical movement by means of guide rods secured to the top and bottom of the window frame and extending through the pleated fabric of the blind. While these pleated blinds have been satisfactory for their intended purpose, they have been subject to certain disadvantages. For instance, the guide rods extending through the pleated fabric of the blind not only obstruct the view through the window in which the blind is mounted, but also the fact that the guide rods extend through the fabric require holes to be formed in the fabric to accommodate the rods; thus, the movement of the fabric on the guide rods tends to enlarge the holes, whereby, after continued use, the fabric becomes torn to such an extent it needs to be either repaired or replaced.

Furthermore, the free ends of the operating cords in these hitherto employed pleated blind assemblies were allowed to hang freely from the blind, resulting in an unsightly accumulation of cord when the blind had been moved to open position. In some instances, suitable fasteners, such as cleats, were secured to the sides of the window frames whereby the accumulated length of operating cord could be manually wrapped thereon.

Summary.-To overcome the disadvantages experienced in these hitherto employed assemblies, after considerable research and experimentation, the blind assembly of the present invention has been devised which comprises, essentially, a pleated blind having operating cords connected to the top and bottom weight bars thereof, whereby the blind may be folded to open position by selectively raising or lowering the blind relative to the window in which it is mounted. The pleated blind is guided in its vertical movement by means of guide buttons secured to the ends of the top and bottom weight bars and slidably received within channels secured to the sides of the window frame, whereby the use of guide rods extend- ICC ing through the pleated fabric of the blind is precluded.

A portion of the operating cords is positioned within the channels to thereby conceal them and the free ends of the cords are connected to take-up spools positioned adjacent the lower end of the frame, whereby storage reels are provided for the accumulated length of cord when the blind is moved to open position. Furthermore, the take-up spools employed in the pleated blind assembly of the present invention are constructed and arranged to impart a constant tension to the operating cords which actuate automatic cord grippers carried in the blind head bar or cornice, whereby the blind may be held in a selected open position.

The pleated blind assembly of the present invention is readily adapted to be mounted in -window installations wherein the windows are pivotally mounted to facilitate the cleaning thereof. In these installations, a storage compartment is provided at the lower end of the window for receiving the top and bottom Weight bars and pleated fabric, whereby the blind may be folded to an inoperative out-of-the-way position while the window is being cleaned.

Brief description of the drawings-FIGURE l is a perspective view of the pleated blind assembly of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary, sectional side elevational view of the pleated blind assembly illustrated in FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a View taken along line 3 3 of FIG- URE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a view taken along line 4--4of FIG- URE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a view taken along line 5 5 of FIG- URE 2;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary perspective view of one of the guide buttons employed in the pleated blind assembly of the present invention;

FIGURE 7 is an elevational view showing the blind assembly of the present invention mounted in a window installation; and

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary, sectional view taken along line 8-8 of FIGURE 7.

Description of the preferred embodiment-Referring to the drawings and more particularly to FIGURE l, the pleated blind assembly of the present invention comprises, a pleated fabric 1 having its lower end secured to a bottom weight bar 2 and its upper end secured to a top weight bar 3. Guide buttons 4 mounted on the ends of the top and bottom weight bars are slidably received Within vertically disposed channels 5 adapted to be secured to the side frame of the window in which the blind assembly is to be mounted.

The operating mechanism for sliding the pleated blind relative to the window comprises, a pair of cords 6 secured to the lower weight bar 2 and reeved on suitable pulleys 7 carried in a conventional head bar or cornice 8, the free ends of the cords being connected to a take-up spool 9 positioned adjacent the lower end of the blind assembly, A second pair of cords 10 are similarly secured to the top weight bar and reeved on pulleys 11 journaled in the head bar 8, the free ends of cords 10 being connected to another take-up spool 12.

A detailed view of the operating mechanism is illustrated in FIGURES l, 3 and 4, wherein it will be seen that the pulleys for each set of operating cords consists of a single sheave on one end of the head bar and a dual sheave on the opposite end of the head bar; thus, as will be seen in FIGURES 3 and 4, the operating cord 6a connected to the right end of the bottom weight bar extends upwardly and around the single sheave on the right side of the head bar, across to one of the dual sheaves on the left side of the head bar and then downwardly to the take-up spool 9. The other operating cord 6b connected to the left end of the bottom weight bar extends upwardly to the other sheave on the dual sheave arrangement and then downwardly to the take-up spool 9. The operating cords a and 10b connected to the top weight bar are similarly reeved on the single and dual sheaves 11; however, as will be seen in FIGURE 3, the single sheave for cord 10a is positioned on the left end of the head bar and the dual sheave arrangement for accommodating cords 10a and 10b is positioned on the right end of the head bar.

In order that the pleated blind may be held in a selected open position, a conventional cord gripper 13 is pivotally connected to each of the dual sheaves, and one of the important features of the present invention is the construction and arrangement of the take-up spools 9 and 12, operating cords 6 and 10 and cord grippers 13, whereby the take-up spools impart a constant tension to the cords for maintaining the cords in a predetermined direction in a vertical plane for actuating the cord grippers to grpping position. To release the cord grippers, it is only necessary to manually move the cords laterally from the predetermined direction, thereby allowing manipulation of the cords to actuate the pleated blind, to be described more fully hereinafter.

Referring to FIGURES 5 and 6, each of the guide buttons 4 is journaled on a pin 4a which is carried by an expandable plastic plug 4b driven into the end portion of its respective weight bar. The guide button is formed with a chordal surface 4c, whereby the button may be manually turned 90 from the position shown in FIGURE 6 to allow its passage through the entrant portion 5a of the channel to facilitate the mounting of the blind in the guide channel or its removal therefrom.

Another important feature of the present invention is the positioning of the vertical runs of the operating cords within the guide channels to substantially conceal them from view, this feature being accomplished by connecting the cords to the portion of the pins 4a adjacent the buttons and extending the cords upwardly through elongated apertures 8a formed in the bottom wall of the head bar. It will be readily apparent that the side guide channels and cooperating buttons, together with the positioning of the cords within the channels provide an unobstructed View through the window when the pleated blind is moved to open position.

While the pleated blind assembly of the present invention has been described as having guide buttons connected only to the ends of the top and bottom weight bars, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that additional guide buttons may be clipped to the opposite edges of the pleated fabric.

In the operation of the pleated blind assembly thus far described, when it is desired to open the blind by folding the pleated fabric upwardly, the user moves the operating cords 6 laterally to release the cord grippers 13, and the tension provided by the take-up spool 9 pulls the cords downwardly, thereby moving the bottom weight bar 2 and associated pleated fabric upwardly. When the desired open position of the blind is obtained, the user releases the cords 6 allowing them to return laterally to their original position wherein the cord grippers are actuated to hold the cords in locked position.

If it is desired to open the blind by lowering the top Weight bar 3 and associated pleated fabric, the cords 10 are moved laterally to release the cord grippers and the cords are pulled out of the take-up spool 12 until the desired open position of the blind is obtained; whereupon, the cords are released thus actuating the cord grippers.

Referring to FIGURES 7 and 8, the pleated blind assembly of the present invention is shown mounted within a window installation 14 wherein the guide channels 5 are secured to the side frame 15 of the w-indow by suitable screws 15a (FIGURE 5), and the blind assembly head bar 8 is secured to the upper cross frame 16 of the window. The take-up spools 9 and 12 are secured to the sill 17 of the window by brackets 18, the spools being concealed within a suitable enclosure 19 also secured to the window sill. The glass portion 20 of the window is of the type adapted to be pivoted about a vertical axis to facilitate the cleaning thereof, and in order that the pleated fabric of the blind may be moved to an out-of-the-way position during the window cleaning operation, a container 21 is mounted on the spool enclosure 19 and is provided with a removable cover 22, whereby the pleated blind may be folded downwardly into inoperative position within the container as shown in FIGURE 8. Suitable plastic bushings 23 are inserted within apertures formed in the top and lbottom walls of the container to provide bearing surfaces for the operating cords extending therethrough. After the window has been cleaned, the pleated blind is moved out of the container to its operative position within the window frame and the cover 22 is snapped into place on the container.

I claim:

1. A pleated blind assembly of the character described comprising, a pleated fabric, a weight bar secured to one end of said pleated fabric, another weight bar secured to the opposite end of said pleated fabric, the ends of a rst pair of operating cords connected to the first-mentioned weight bar, the ends of a second pair of operating cords connected to the second-mentioned weight bar, a head bar adapted to be mounted on the upper end portion of a window frame, pulley means journaled in the end portions of said head bar, said operating cords being reeved on said pulley means, whereby the pleated blind may be folded to open position by actuating a selected pair of operating cords to move the first-mentioned weight bar toward the second-mentioned weight bar, or alternatively, moving the second-mentioned weight bar toward the rst-menticned weight bar, gripping means mounted in said head bar adjacent said pulley means for gripping said cords to hold the blind in a selected open position, and a pair of take-up spools adapted to be mounted on the lower end portion of the window frame inwardly of said pulley means, the free ends of said first pair of operating cords being connected to one of the take-up spools, and the free ends of the second pair of operating cords being connected to the other take-up spool, whereby each takeup spool imparts a constant tension on a respective pair of cords for actuating the cord gripper means and to provide a storage reel for the accumulated length of operating cord when the blind is actuated.

2. A pleated blind assembly according to claim 7, wherein guide means are operatively connected to the blind assembly for guiding the movement of pleated fabric when actuated.

3. A pleated blind assembly according to claim 2, wherein the guide means comprises a pair of channels disposed adjacent the lateral edges of the blind, and guide buttons secured to each of the ends of the weight bars, saild guide buttons being slidably mounted within the channe s.

4. A pleated blind assembly according to claim 3, wherein a portion of the operating cords is positioned within the channels to be concealed therein, to thereby provide a substantially unobstructed view when the blind assembly is mounted in a window installation.

5. A pleated blind assembly of the character described comprising, a pleated fabric, a weight bar secured to one end of said fabric, another weight bar secured to the opposite end of said pleated fabric, the ends of a rst pair of operating cords connected to the first-mentioned Weight bar, the ends of a second pair of operating cords connected to the second-mentioned weight bar, a head bar secured to the upper cross frame of a window installation of the type wherein the window is pivotally mounted to facilitate the cleaning thereof, pulley means journaled in said head bar, said operating cords being reeved on said pulley means, whereby the pleated blind may be folded to open position by actuating a selected pair of operating cords to move the first-mentioned Weight bar toward the second-mentioned weight bar, or alternatively, moving the second-mentioned weight bar toward the first-mentioned weight bar; gripping means mounted in said head bar adjacent said pulley means for gripping said cords to hold the blind in a selected open position, take-up spool means connected to the free ends of said operating cords for imparting a constant tension to the cords for actuating the cord gripper means and to provide a storage reel for the accumulated length of operating cord when the blind is actuated, said take-up spool means being secured to the sill of the window frame, and a storage container superimposed on said take-up spool means, said operating cords extending through the top and bottom Walls of said container whereby the pleated fabric and weight bars may be folded and moved to inoperative position within the storage container to allow the Window to be pivoted to open posittion.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Porter 1160-167 Auld i60- 167 Judge 160-167 X Hopkins 160-277 Stone 160-84 Butts 160-84 Vallarelli et al. 160-*26 Anderle l60-l67 Gambon et al 160-279 Hagerty et al 160-107 U.S. Cl. X.R. 

